Letters to the editor: 03-11-18

Sunday, March 11, 2018, 12:05 a.m.

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Kudos to the
unsung deliverer

We rent a condo annually at Country Club Villas at Kailua-Kona for our three-week vacation. Prior to arrival, we subscribe to WHT and arrange for delivery during our stay. This year’s delivery service has been excellent.

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Every paper has been literally touching the screen door. No papers left at the end of the walk, thrown off the walk, etc. like in some years past.

Our Minneapolis paper deliverer leaves our weekend papers by the curb or half way between the garage door and curb, in spite of numerous complaints. He/she could learn much from our current WHT carrier. Mahalo to this person at WHT!

Kathleen and Frank Anderson

Plymouth, Minn.

Surf school pilot program
is about finding balance

As a kamaaina of Kahaluu and the director of The Kohala Center’s Kahaluu Bay Education Center for the past eight years, I am also very passionate about the issue of surf schools operating in Kahaluu Bay.

Many area residents and people concerned about the health of the bay’s ecosystem, safety issues, and overcrowding would like to see commercial activity in the water prohibited outright. Surf school operators do not want their ability to conduct business restricted, and the business community does not want to see contributions to our local economy reduced.

What has not been mentioned in coverage of the surf school pilot program is that state law explicitly restricts the number of schools and students that can occupy Kahaluu Bay at any given time. Hawaii Administrative Rules §13-256-152 requires surf schools to obtain permits from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to conduct commercial water sports instruction in the bay, limits the number of permits issued to four schools, and restricts each school to eight students in the water at a time. Because schools must access county property to access state waters, the county has a role to play in monitoring and regulating these activities. We will work with all stakeholders to ensure compliance with these regulations.

The Kohala Center based its budget and fees on our best estimates of the costs to plan, launch, and administer this new program. After a six-month pilot, we will collaborate with the county to evaluate and revise the fees based on actual expenses and experience.

The Kohala Center’s vision has always been to foster a state of pono. This pilot program seeks to find middle ground that supports a healthy bay, a healthy economy, a healthy community, and public safety. Learn more about the history of this program at koha.la/surfschool-faq.